Chicken roasted with butter, figs and verjuice

This roast chicken recipe features sweet and savoury flavours in just the right proportions.

Mar 19, 2015 1:00pm

By Lisa Featherby

20 mins preparation

1 hr 45 mins cooking

Serves 4 - 6

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This versatile roast is lovely in the warmer months served with a crisp green salad, and when the weather turns cooler, it goes nicely with a barley pilaf or farro to soak up the juices.

Ingredients

1 chicken (1.2kg), at room temperature

30 gm butter, coarsely chopped

12 golden shallots, peeled

6 figs, halved

3 tsp each thyme and rosemary

120 ml verjuice

Method

1

Preheat oven to 180C. Rinse chicken inside and out, pat dry with paper towels and place in a roasting pan. Rub with butter inside and out, scatter shallots in pan, season well and roast until chicken starts to turn golden (1 hour 30 minutes). Add figs and herbs, pour verjuice over and continue roasting, basting occasionally, until chicken is golden and cooked (the juices should run clear when a skewer is inserted in the thigh) and figs are warmed through (6-10 minutes). Strain pan juices into a saucepan and simmer over high heat to reduce until syrupy and glossy (4-6 minutes). Spoon over chicken and serve.